Annapolis, Maryland – A 33-year-old woman, who fled to Florida after fatally shooting a Severna Park father in an Annapolis community last spring, was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison, State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess announced.
Ronnisha Harris, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 60 years with all but 30 years suspended, with the first five years to be served without the possibility of parole.
"This was a targeted shooting in broad daylight that not only took a man's life but also put small children and civilians at risk as they scattered for safety," Leitess said. "The defendant thought she could escape several states away, but due to the efforts of the Annapolis Police Department and our partners with the U.S. Marshals, she was located and brought to justice."
On March 2, 2023, officers responded to the 100 block of Obery Court for reports of gunfire. There, they located 48-year-old Raphael "Ray-Ray" Johnson Jr., a father of three from Severna Park, deceased with a gunshot wound to the back of his head.
Surveillance video showed a woman chasing the victim on foot and firing at him multiple times, causing community members, including small children, to flee for their safety. After closing in distance, the woman is seen firing a single shot to the back of the victim's head at close range. Witnesses identified the woman on the video as Harris, and an arrest warrant was issued for murder and related charges.
After eluding law enforcement for several weeks, U.S. Marshals apprehended Harris on May 24, 2023 in Tampa, Florida.
On January 4, 2024, Harris entered a guilty plea to Second-Degree Murder and Use of a Firearm in a Violent Crime in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Annapolis.
Assistant State's Attorney Nancy Jeffein Olin and Assistant State's Attorney Brian Pritchard prosecuted the case on the behalf of the citizens of Anne Arundel County, with the Honorable Cathleen Vitale presiding.